News for the Young Punjab!

Salman Khan acquitted in Arms Act case

After 18 years of legal battle in the alleged black buck and chinkara poaching cases, a local court on Wednesday acquitted actor Salman Khan in the Arms Act case lodged in October 1988 giving him the benefit of doubt. Chief Judicial Magistrate Dalpat Singh Rajpurohit announced the judgement within minutes of the actor’s arrival in the court.

A case was registered against Khan under the Arms Act in October 1988 for allegedly possessing arms without a valid licence during alleged poaching of black bucks at Kankani village near Jodhpur. The case was filed by the forest department. Salman’s sister Alveera was present in the court.

Knowledgeable people aware of the case said that Investigation is the primary reason for this case of arms act failing against Salman Khan. As a consequence of shoddy investigation, prosecution could not prove the case beyond reasonable doubt against salman. Benefit of doubt given to the actor because despite reexamination of witnesses, the prosecution couldn’t bring home the case against him. It’s difficult to say if this acquittal will have a bearing in the black buck killing verdict slated on Jan 25.

Arms Act case 1998

In October 1998, police filed a case against Salman under Sections 325 and 327 of the Arms Act for allegedly possessing and using a 0.22 rifle and a 0.32 revolver to kill two black bucks in Kankani village in Jodhpur on October 1 and 2. The actor was in Jodhpur for the shooting of a Hindi film, ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain.” Other Bollywood actors, including Saif Ali Khan and Sonali Bendre, are also accused of poaching black bucks with Salman.